Buying handbuilt wheels

[GrumpyGregry]

Thanks for that, Pete. I did read Sheldon's article on wheelbuilding yesterday, and started thinking it doesn't seem that hard.

If I can do it, you can. I can do it.

 

[PpPete]

Thanks for that, Pete. I did read Sheldon's article on wheelbuilding yesterday, and started thinking it doesn't seem that hard.

Well there you go then .... I was baffled by Sheldon's article on wheelbuilding, but the Wheelpro book is about the best £9 I've ever spent on bike related stuff.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

And, just to prove young Greg wrong.........my personal recommendation would be the all-carbon Boardman Race at £650 from Halfords, the XS size having a top tube measured parallel to the ground (the way it should be) at 525mm. Is there a Halfords in Malaga?

You are nothing if not rational in your recommendations. But then I own a Boardman.

As to buying one in Spain? Wiggle.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

...Why go to the expense and hassle of handbuilt?...

Because they are superior to all but the very best factory built wheels and will, over the course of their life, be a more economic choice.

 

[Scilly Suffolk]

Start with the Wheelpro book http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php which has incredibly clear instructions and diagrams...

Recently bought it myself and can confirm that it is easy to follow.

Already stripped and remade an old front wheel a couple of times for practice.

Waiting to hear back from a chum about knocking the jig up (plans included in the book) and I'll be making one for real.

 

[e-rider]

replying to OP - that is expensive for such wheels; but Condor are an expensive shop..................

 

[amaferanga]

If I was looking to spend less than £200 on a set of nice but reliable handbuilt wheels here's what I'd buy:

Rims -- http://www.winstanleysbikes.co.uk/product/18066/Halo_Mercury_Deep_Aero_Road_Rim

£42 each and weigh about 900g for the pair (I have some of these rims - they're made by Kinlin and are very, very good)

Hubs -- http://www.bikehubstore.com/SuperLight-Hubset-p/sl290.htm

US$100 for the pair and 290g (I have the front, bought from bikehubstore and delivered to the UK in under a week; very light, look great)

So far that's about £100 plus postage costs and less than 1200g. I'd recommend 28 hole for the front and 32 hole for the rear (you could get away with 24/28 given your weight, but the higher spoke count will be easier to build).

For spokes I'd go for Sapim Race. Price depends on how good a deal you can find for the spokes you need (German online stores always seem to be cheapest), but you should be able to find them for no more than 50p each so about £30 for 60. Weight is around 350g for 60. Brass spoke nipples weigh about 60g for 60.

So with a little bit of effort you could have a fantastic set of wheels for under £150 that weigh about 1600g. Compare that with £209 for a pair of very average wheels that weigh over 2kg from Condor. Then when the rims wear out you can replace them for £84 instead of having to bin the wheelset (as you normally do with factory wheels). And if the build you do yourself doesn't turn out great you could take them to a bike shop to get them finished professionally and it'd still cost you less than the crappy Condor wheelset.

 

[uphillstruggler]

Are your spokes thinner at the ends like they were on my rs30s?

not that i can see, they are bladed until the last 10mm into the nipple.

have to say that they are the first wheels i have upgraded and am very happy with them so far, but it does make me wonder just how good a decent set of hand builts would be.

is there an N+1 for wheels

 

[lulubel]

Start with the Wheelpro book http://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php which has incredibly clear instructions and diagrams. Build a few pairs sticking strictly to that recipe, then you can start to experiment - you will soon know more about wheels than most shop staff.

Really good book. I bought it yesterday evening and read it "cover to cover".

These rims are arguably better than the Open Pros, and a stonking price atm
http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/RIDTRR465/dt_swiss_rr_465_double_road_rim

Tiagra hubs are OK - or 105 if you can afford them, or look around for a bargain on some sealed bearing ones. Just make sure you get 32 hole and Shimano compatible.

Spokes, Double-butted, stainless steel - Sapim Race, DT Swiss Comp are both top notch.

Have you built any wheels using those rims with 105 hubs? It isn't that I'm too lazy to work out the spoke lengths, but it will take at least a week for the rims and hubs to come, then another week once I've measured them and ordered the correct length spokes. I'd really like to get on with it as quickly as possible!

So, if you happen to know the measurements of the rims and hubs .....

 

[lulubel]

For spokes I'd go for Sapim Race. Price depends on how good a deal you can find for the spokes you need (German online stores always seem to be cheapest), but you should be able to find them for no more than 50p each so about £30 for 60. Weight is around 350g for 60. Brass spoke nipples weigh about 60g for 60.

I'm definitely going to go for the Sapin Race. You're the third person (including the writer of the book Pete recommended) who has said they're good.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to buy the hubs you recommend, although they look like a really good price on the face of it. I've been stung with buying things from outside the EU before. Spanish customs always charge VAT, plus a €30 admin fee, which would put the price up considerably. So I'm limited to within the EU. I'll have a search around for German stores for the spokes, though.

 

[PpPete]

lulubel -I've not built with those DT Swiss Rims yet - although I hope to be doing so in the near future.
The DT Swiss Spoke Calculator - and another database I found both give an ERD of 599mm
Hope that helps

 

[MacB]

impressed, building your own wheels, a step I'm too scared to try, plus I have already spent lots of dosh on handbuilts with my size in mind. In case you ever need to know mine have been from Spa or Wheelcraft in Scotland, all have been spot on out the box and required no attention to date.

By the way I also agree with all those that said the condor price, for what you were getting, seemed rather high.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

impressed, building your own wheels, a step I'm too scared to try, plus I have already spent lots of dosh on handbuilts with my size in mind. In case you ever need to know mine have been from Spa or Wheelcraft in Scotland, all have been spot on out the box and required no attention to date.

By the way I also agree with all those that said the condor price, for what you were getting, seemed rather high.

Al, you have very little to lose trying it. My first pair cost me a few hours and some borked nipples which I had to replace. Bought all the bits from Spa who were extremely helpful but not the cheapest. Building them is a real "out of mind" activity. Very therapeutic. Almost as good a riding but without murderous tw@ts in w@nkp@nzers trying to kill you for sport. I've since built three pairs for myself, one of which was a strip and rebuild with better spokes of a shop set, and a couple of pairs for mates for beer money. Nowt flash but they are all still running true.

I reckon you'd love it tbh, given your predilection for fettling.

 

[Scoosh]

I'm definitely going to go for the Sapin Race. You're the third person (including the writer of the book Pete recommended) who has said they're good.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to buy the hubs you recommend, although they look like a really good price on the face of it. I've been stung with buying things from outside the EU before. Spanish customs always charge VAT, plus a €30 admin fee, which would put the price up considerably. So I'm limited to within the EU. I'll have a search around for German stores for the spokes, though.

This German company are usually well recommended over on (yet) another cycling forum
http://www.roseversand.de/produkte/technik/speichen-und-nippel/

They do wheels too ....

As I have said in one of your 'What Bike ?' threads , I have a Condor Fratello, which was purchased from Condor on the basis of my Bike Fit measurements and discussions with Condor.

I found them to be good to deal with - and my dealings with their customer service people when I had a couple of issues was a good experience.

All this - discussing, ordering and dealing with their customer services was all done without getting any nearer to London than my home in Edinburgh .

Your specific OP about wheels - I have Mavic Open Pro's on 105 hubs. They've been OK but both rims are worn out after 2 and a half years, so are being replaced. I needed a new one in a bit of a hurry (as usual ) so did a 'rim transplant' onto another Open pro but those DT Swiss RR465's look pretty good value ...

[watch this credit card ]

 

[MacB]

Al, you have very little to lose trying it. My first pair cost me a few hours and some borked nipples which I had to replace. Bought all the bits from Spa who were extremely helpful but not the cheapest. Building them is a real "out of mind" activity. Very therapeutic. Almost as good a riding but without murderous tw@ts in w@nkp@nzers trying to kill you for sport. I've since built three pairs for myself, one of which was a strip and rebuild with better spokes of a shop set, and a couple of pairs for mates for beer money. Nowt flash but they are all still running true.

I reckon you'd love it tbh, given your predilection for fettling.

Yep and that last bit is the scariest, I don't really need to extend my current bike fettling addiction. I'm sure I'll give it a go sometime but I may wait until there is a problem with an existing wheel.

Though I do need, at some point, to build myself up a spare SS wheel.